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Tom Cruise truly embodies the spirit of Maverick both on and off the screen. In a recent interview with British GQ, Glen Powell shared a harrowing yet hilarious experience with his Top Gun: Maverick co-star, revealing the lengths Cruise will go for a good prank, USmagazine report.
Powell recounted a particularly terrifying moment during a helicopter ride over London. Cruise, known for his love of high-octane stunts, suddenly feigned a sense of panic. “Tom goes ‘oh no, oh no,' and he starts dropping the helicopter over London,” Powell recalled. At that moment, Powell genuinely feared for his life, wondering if he was about to become an unfortunate statistic. “I was like, ‘Am I about to be the unnamed guy that dies with Tom in a smoking hole in the middle of London?'” he joked.
This hair-raising experience turned out to be one of Cruise’s legendary pranks, adding an adrenaline-pumping twist to their journey back to London after reshoots at Pinewood Studios.
Mentor and Prankster: Cruise’s Influence on Powell
Beyond the pranks, Cruise's relationship with Powell extended far beyond that of typical co-stars. Cruise took on a significant mentorship role, influencing Powell’s career and perspective on the film industry. During the uncertain times when the release of Top Gun: Maverick was delayed due to the pandemic, Cruise offered invaluable guidance.
Rather than merely opening doors for Powell, Cruise encouraged him to deepen his understanding of filmmaking. Cruise organized unique educational experiences, including an impromptu flight school to explain the fundamentals of aviation. “The funniest part is on flying. It was like he put together this entire flight school. So he would literally go ‘OK, this is what a plane is. Here's how things fly. Here's how air pressure works,'” Powell shared.
Cruise’s mentorship also included a personalized “film school” movie he created to educate his friends on filmmaking techniques. According to Glen Powell, Cruise sent him to an empty movie theater in Los Angeles to watch a six-hour film where Cruise spoke directly to the camera about everything he had learned over the years. “He said, ‘This is just for my friends,’” Powell recalled. The film covered a wide range of topics, from the basics of camera work to the differences between film and digital cameras.
This hands-on guidance had a profound impact on Powell’s approach to his roles and his understanding of cinematic storytelling. Reflecting on his upcoming movie Twisters, Powell emphasized the human element in disaster films. “You can look at a big disaster movie and go, ‘Oh cool, the world loves disaster movies.' No, no. It's about who we are in the face of disaster, and what the human instinct is in reacting to it,” he noted.
High-Flying Adventures and Near-Death Experiences
Cruise’s mentorship wasn’t limited to theoretical knowledge. Back in November 2022, Powell revealed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon that Cruise had arranged for him to go skydiving for the first time, which nearly turned fatal. On what was only his second date with his girlfriend, Powell learned that Cruise insisted he jump solo. “Tom’s only request is that Glen cannot go skydiving with another person. He has to go solo the first time,” Powell recounted.
The experience was terrifying, especially when Powell couldn’t find his parachute tab while free-falling. “It’s the nightmare that everybody talks about. My first thought was, ‘Oh, Tom just killed me. He’s going to feel so bad,'” Powell recalled with a laugh.
These experiences highlight the unique bond between Cruise and Powell, blending intense mentorship with high-stakes pranks. Cruise’s influence has clearly left a lasting impact on Glen Powell, shaping his career and enriching his life with unforgettable, albeit nerve-wracking, memories.
